The festival known as Els Enfarinats (the floured ones) is celebrated each year on December 28 in Ibi, Spain. Residents of the small town don military garb and stage a massive battle where they throw flour, eggs, and set off firecrackers.
The festival known as Els Enfarinats (the floured ones) is celebrated each year on December 28 in Ibi, Spain. Residents of the small town don military garb and stage a massive battle where they throw flour, eggs, and set off firecrackers.
In This Town, the Weapons of War Are Flour and Eggs
This 200-year-old tradition in Spain is the ultimate food fight.
Photographs byAntonio Gibotta
ByShaena Montanari
Published September 14, 2017
Every December 28, the small town of Ibi, Spain explodes—with flour, eggs, and firecrackers.
The festival known as Els Enfarinats is a 200-year-old tradition celebrated in December commemorating the Biblical story of King Herod and the Massacre of the Innocents. Els enfarinats translates to “The floured ones” in the Valencian language, and for good reason.
Photographer Antonio Gibotta went to Spain to capture this unique festival on his quest to find obscure celebrations worldwide. He described the scene of about 30 locals and tourists participating, dressed in military garb, staging a fake coup d’état.
There are two sides to the pretend-battle, Gibotta explains, with Els Enfarinats “declaring and enforcing ridiculous new laws” in the town throughout the day, and the
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